The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to point-to-point wireless communication between two or more devices. Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems (or networks) may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, point-to-point or point-to-multipoint wireless communication involves two or more devices transmitting and/or receiving signals to and from one another without utilizing an intermediary wireless device. Point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication may involve initial service discovery and provisioning (e.g., credential authentication) phases. In some cases, an initial discovery phase involves devices alternating between scanning or broadcasting a signal and anticipating a signal transmitted from another device (anticipating a signal is sometimes referred to as “listening” for a signal). This may result in extended connection initiation times because two devices may simultaneously listen for signals, and thus neither device may send a signal. Or, the reverse may be true: two devices may simultaneously be sending signals and neither device is listening. In some cases, a provisioning phase may include a user entering a code or identification, which may also increase connection initiation times and complicate the connection setting process for the average user. Wired discovery and provisioning may be implemented to avoid lengthy initiation times; but relying on wires tends to contravene the benefits of wireless communication.
Alternatively, technologies such as Near-Field Communication (NFC) may be used to indicate availability of a nearby device needed to be connected. But not all equipment to which a user may want to connect utilizes an NFC radio controller. Furthermore, even where NFC controllers do exist, NFC requires close proximity between the two or more peers seeking to connect.
Typical discovery and provisioning procedures may be unsecure because devices may indiscriminately send signals that could be received by both intended and unintended devices. Additionally or alternatively, provisioning information may be inherently unsecure—e.g., credential authentication may include easily decipherable encryption, which may be received by unintended devices. It therefore may be desirable to more expeditiously and securely initiate point-to-point or point-to-multi-point communication.